1 Thessalonians 4:11

1 Thessalonians 4:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
• English Standard Version (ESV)and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,
• New King James Version (NKJV)that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
• New Living Translation (NLT)Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

Context of 1 Thessalonians 4:11

9Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 word by word

καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι ἡσυχάζειν καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν ὑμῶν καθὼς ὑμῖν παρηγγείλαμεν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• that ye studyφιλοτιμέομαιphilotimeomai · to aspireG5389
• to be quietἡσυχάζωhēsuchazō · be quiet/give upG2270
• to doπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• businessἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• to workἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• we commandedπαραγγέλλωparaggellō · to orderG3853

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Proverbs 17:1Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
• Ecclesiastes 4:6Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
• Lamentations 3:26it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.
• 1 Timothy 2:2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
• 1 Peter 3:4Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
• Romans 15:20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
• Mark 13:34It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
• Luke 12:42The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
• Romans 12:4For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
• Colossians 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:11We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.
• 1 Timothy 5:13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.
• 1 Peter 4:10Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
• Acts 20:35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11That ye study to be quiet - Though in general the Church at Thessalonica was pure and exemplary, yet there seem to have been some idle, tattling people among them, who disturbed the peace of others; persons who, under the pretense of religion, gadded about from house to house; did not work, but were burdensome to others; and were continually meddling with other people's business, making parties, and procuring their bread by religious gossiping. To these…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11And that ye study to be quiet - Orderly, peaceful; living in the practice of the calm virtues of life. The duty to which he would exhort them was that of being subordinate to the laws; of avoiding all tumult and disorder; of calmly pursuing their regular avocations, and of keeping themselves from all the assemblages of the idle, the restless, and the dissatisfied. No Christian should be engaged in a mob; none should be identified with the popular…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 We should notice in others what is good, to their praise, that we may engage them to abound therein more and more. All who are savingly taught of God, are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teach. Those remarkable for this or any other grace, need to increase therein, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11to live quietly means being worthy of respect and not causing problems in the community. work with your hands: The apostle Paul had previously instructed through his teaching and personal example that they should earn their own living (see Thessalonians 3:7–9; 10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. study to be quiet--Greek, "make it your ambition to be quiet, and to do your own business." In direct contrast to the world's ambition, which is, "to make a great stir," and "to be busybodies" (2Th 3:11, 12). work with your own hands--The Thessalonian converts were, it thus seems, chiefly of the working classes. Their expectation of the immediate coming of Christ led some enthusiasts among them to neglect their daily work and be dependent on the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 4:11

• Commandments
• Evil
• Honesty
• Industry
• Labor

In the dictionaries

• Asleep
• Poor
• Quiet
• Rise
• Sleep
• Trump
• Ambitious
• Business
• Disorderly
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings